History of the Aircraft Control and Warning System in Alaska: Air Defense of Arctic Skies

• Main Authors: G. Williams, J. DePue, M. Whorton, A. Alpert, D. Tomasko
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Argonne National Laboratory 2002
• Subjects: Tatalina; Sparrevohn; Campion; Ohlson Mountain; Middleton Island; Alaska State / Territory; Cape Romanzof; Unalakleet; Bethel; Tin City; Fort Yukon; Fire Island; Murphy Dome; King Salmon; Cape Newenham; Kotzebue; Cape Lisburne; Northeast Cape; Indian Mountain; Cold War Era; 611th; Historic Context; National Register; Aircraft Control and Warning System; AC&W; Pacific Air Forces; 611th Air Support Group; Eligible; Cold War; United States Air Force; National Register of Historic Places; Argonne National Laboratory; 11th Air Force; 611th Civil Engineer Squadron; ANL; Historic Background Research; Architectural Survey; Remote Sensing; Methodology, Theory, or Synthesis; Records Search / Inventory Checking; Heritage Management; Site Evaluation / Testing; Arctic; Yukon; Pacific; Indian; Alaska
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48512/xcv8459179; https://core.tdar.org/document/459179/history-of-the-aircraft-control-and-warning-system-in-alaska-air-defense-of-arctic-skies

This report presents historical background on the development, deployment, and operation of the AC&W system. It first summarizes the historical context of U.S.-Soviet relations that led to the deployment of the AC&W system and the general military buildup in Alaska. It next presents detailed information on the locations, development, and operation of the AC&W system in Alaska and relates the personal recollections of individuals who were stationed at the bases while the radar system was in operation. Additional information on the history, development, and operation of radars in general and AC&W radars in particular is provided in Appendix A. Appendix B contains brief biographic sketches of former AC&W personnel who provided personal recollections of their service in response to a survey conducted for this report. Most of the individual AC&W installations did not retain sufficient integrity to be eligible for the NRHP, either because they had already been entirely demolished or because critical components of the system were demolished. However, the 611 ASG determined that Cape Lisburne, Kotzebue, Tin City, and Fort Yukon retained enough original structures to be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP. Cape Lisburne was determined to be the best remaining example among the four eligible sites.